Monday, 4 November 2013

Plot Twist

On Tuesday Oct 8th I said this, lots!!! And panicked a bit, and told the Universe I wasn't impressed!

On the Monday night I went out for dinner with V. She was full of the news of her (somewhat mad, I think she'll agree) new adventure. On my walk home I found myself thinking that some new adventure would be good - ha, careful what you wish for!On my arrival at work on the Tuesday morning, having ditched the coat and put lunch in the fridge, the boss calls me over. Do I need pen and paper says I? No, says he. Uh-oh, says I.Long story short I'm being made redundant, let go, sacked...it's all very amicable. Both sides knew there was a risk involved when I started working there and it just hasn't worked out. I'm re-assured by the boss that it's nothing I've done (or haven't done) and that I'll get a months notice, and that he'll do all he can to help me...Right Universe - that wasn't quite what I had in mind when I said I'd like a bit of adventure!!!I already had a sort of Saturday job lined up with the guy that I've been doing event work for so there was one day a week but what about the other four? I'm still paying out for the flat in Kent don't forget!!I spent a very demoralising weekend surfing the web looking for Xmas jobs and ended up walking round the shops looking in the windows for ads for Xmas temps - my theory being, grab an Xmas job, take the pressure off.Five on-line applications, three application forms and three CV's with cover letters later and I felt a little better. Then one of the on-line ones came back to say I had been unsuccessful swiftly followed by another - that wasn't a good start.

Another came back inviting me to a recruitment event so I booked myself in, then I went through the mountain of paperwork they sent only to discover I didn't have the relevant ID here in Devon with me. Gave them a call to see if there was any room for manoeuvre, could I attend and then get the ID to them, I had after all been working for the Police for the last eight years or so - no, definitely not, had to have the papers as requested. Well that was the end of that then.Another invite to a recruitment event - on the outskirts of Chard, in Somerset!! As most of you know I don't drive. After some web surfing I discover that I can get there but it'll take me two and a half hours (each way) and involves multiple buses. After several emails back and forth I take myself off to the local store in question and see if they can help. The very nice assistant manager says she'll sort something and get back to me.

So it's been a couple of weeks and so far I'm not getting very far. There's a couple of posts I'm toying with applying for but the hours are awful (nights or 5am starts) and the location is a bit of a bugger to get to. There is definitely some head in sand action going on and I know it. Strangely though that doesn't motivate me to do much about it!! After 3 weeks I end up with three interviews/recruitment events that I can attend. I am lucky in that since leaving Uni I have had about six jobs but only had to attend an interview for one of them. Well, lucky then but now I'm pooping my pants as I have no idea what to expect. The interview I did have was nearly nine years ago...I do a little bit of swatting, checking out the shops website careers pages and having a nosey on Wikipedia, but decide that the best I can do is be myself (good advice from an on-line group I'm part of).Interview one is me and another person. We've been asked to take three photo's with us to show what we are like, what we like to do etc. A quick trip to town to get some printed and I chose the below...

This one to cover my love of reading - that's Raymond E Feist and I've been reading his books since I was 18

This one covers both the fact I liking taking pics and the fact I love the sea.

And this one 'coz I love my family (even if this pic is missing a brother!)We chat about our pics, chat a bit in general, then get sent off to the shop floor to pick some outfits for certain scenarios (it's a clothes shop). After that it's back for some one on one questions. Thanks very much, we'll let you know in a couple of weeks. I don't think it went too well but I have nothing to gauge it against.Next interview is completely one on one, just me and the manager. She's lovely and it's very relaxed. Quite a bit of giggling, and the swatting up I did on Wikipedia comes in handy. This one seemed to go better and they'll let me know in a week or less.Final one is a bit more of a recruitment event. There are nine of us ranging from a 17 year old fresh from college to an older chap who is trying to get back into the work force. We start off with a 'chat to your neighbour, find out about them, then tell the rest of us'. I hate those!! We also have to decide if we were an object what would we be!! I went for suitcase for the chance to travel. There are another couple of exercises and some general information and then we're done. This one seemed OK too. I piped up a couple of times but didn't take over. They'll let us know in the next few days.

Last Friday I got a call from one of the above (Cath Kidston) to offer me a position - hurrah, I took it. About ten minutes later one of the others called to offer me a position - too late (but a nice little boost for the ego!).

So today I went in for my training, got my badge and my pinny and had a good day. It's 'only' a part time temporary position but there will be the opportunity to grab overtime as it gets nearer to Christmas. I have my rota for this week and next and I'm already down to do more than my contracted hours - bonus.Hopefully I will be able to work the event work around the hours I do at the shop - they have to give me a day off right!My plan is to work as much as I can between now and the new year and try and keep myself near the level I was. There is a small possibility that the job could be extended or even become more long term but I can't count on that. I will have eyes and ears open for another position but it has to be flexible enough to allow the event work as that's what I really think I want to be doing in the full on long term. That again is a bit of a suck it and see position (so to speak) but I know the boss is putting a lot more thought into how to make it work from the start so hopefully it won't go the same way. That is due to start properly in the next couple of weeks - the office is still being built at the moment!So, there you have my last month in a nutshell - fingers crossed for the future...